I got the urge to make a quilt recently when I saw a wonderful piece on Tim Holtz's blog. It was made of grunge paper. Inspired by this beautiful piece, I made a picture frame and recently a blackboard that's not that black at all.

Indeed, Françoise Melzani's new collection of papers (Sultane-Les Maisons de Fées) is an explosion of colour. I am very pleased with the final result. I love the colours of this collection! Oh and since I used to be a quilter, I also woke the embroiderer within...

Using "dimensionnal pearls", I embroidered every square with stiches.... And finally, I really had fun using my Cuttlebug to emboss paper scraps, sanding them and inking them with my favorite Distress ink. I used these pieces for my borders (inside and outside). Look at the details...Yummy...

I'm telling you, I enjoyed making this so much I will certainely repeat the experience.

For this project, you choose your own format since I created mine from scratch with "foam core". I cut it to size 24 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches. The blackboard is 12 x12 inches. I used "Faux" blackboard. It's self-adhesive and you can use chalk on it. You could also use blackboard paint on chipboard. For the decoration, you could add photos of loved ones, flowers, etc. I wanted to put flowers and photos on my project but the papers I chose took all the place and did it well so I just added a few stamps here and there. It's up to you to embellish as you please.

For this layout, I worked with the wonderful Queen Bee collection by Pink Paislee. I must say that the color scheme didn't appeal to me at first, but I really like the result. I like the Pink Paislee borderlines clear stickers: they are very pretty and versatile! I used them whole and cut out some of them for my layout, to save the white background from the stickers packaging.

To highlight this picture of my son and I, I wanted a feminine looking paper. So I thought of the wonderful Pastichecollection by Prima. For this layout, I used very little embelishments, so we can clearly see the details of the background paper. I used the flowers' packaging to back my picture.

Miror, miror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? When I planned to create something with Françoise Melzani's papers (from Sultane), I was wondering if I would be able to honor them. The paper is so beautiful, the colors so rich et and the patterns so enchanting... I knew that I wanted to cover a frame but how was I to do it while preserving the designs of the paper? Its with a little fear that I started to tear and place the pieces of this paper to make a collage. Once the shyness was gone, I went through with the collage, the inking and the embellishing of the object. Stamps also created by Françoise, in the same theme as the papers, where added to embellish some parts of the collage, while a flower and few Dew Drops enhanced others parts. A home made pendant seemed like a must have gypsy touch to add to the ensemble. Lastly, I thought that it would be nice to give the miror the name Mona. It could have been another name, but the idea was to personnalize the object for the person who will use it.

Married and mother of 4 , I live in Annecy (in the Alps- Department of Haute-Savoie). This fulfills my love of mountains. My children being older now, I have lots of time for my other passions: the love of Corsica (my husband is native of Corsica) which I visit many times a year, and my other creative hobbies such as scrapbooking, but especially painting and mixed-media.

How did you get into mixed-media?

Since I was a child, I've created with everything that falls into my hands. I preferred to draw and paint instead of playing with dolls. Since then, I experience the need to keep my hands busy (sewing, knitting, cooking, gardening, DIY, etc.)

Passionate about painting, I came across the magic word (mixed-media) on the net. I knew then that I could "mix" all of my favorite hobbies!

How would you describe your style?

It's hard to say. In fact, my style favors colors (often warm and bold), colors that I like to harmonize on a project. Maybe the addition of drawings... I also like to collect little bits and pieces that I will incorporate in a creation and with painting, I feel content with the practice of mixed media.

What encourages you to create?

It can be an object, a picture, a painting, a landscape, an encounter! In fact it's everything that gives rise to a positive emotion! I am inspired by an emotion, an object and the rest comes naturally, by instinct.

I think that if I like playing with colours, it's because I was fascinated by the stained glass patterns in churches. While attending mass, I was always observing those works of art in all of their details. Besides that, being passionate about painting, I like to visit museums. I think that my favorite artists rub off on my work. I adore Picasso, Gaugin, Le Caravage, Basquiat, Quattocento's paintings, etc...

Françoise, you are a talented mixed-media artist and now you have your own line of scrapbook papers. How did you get there?

For my "Maison de fées collection" it's INFOCREAwho contacted me. They gave me complete freedom. I loved creating on the theme of houses and fairies. Then, seeing the success of this collection, Sabine - a friend of mine- asked me to create papers for STUDIO2MERS, her company. The collection is called "Giverny". These papers are entirely hand made and combine my passion for drawing and painting. I am preparing another collection and I am willing to work with any other company that is interested. (Ed.: click here to see the "Maison de fées" papers)

You are a member of the web site "Jardin du mixed-média", tell us a bit about this website.

In order to promote mixed-media, I created this website 3 years ago, with my friend Céline Carbonel. Since then, the team has grown (2 more collaborators) and the audience also (more than 300 followers). We offer one sponsored challenge with a tutorial each month. We also offer techniques, tricks and interviews with artists all related to the art of mixed-media. And we also organize crops all over France (4 each year). They are very popular.

Do you have projects that you would like to tell us about?

Fortunately, I always have projects! I just finished writing 2 articles on mixed-media for French magazines. I am also collaborating with 7 other artists on a book that will be published autumn 2010. Through the "Mixed-média Attitude" association, I would also like to invite American artists, pioneers in the domain, to give workshops here in France. This would be very successful.

I would also like to come visit you and promote the French style of mixed-media, which I think is less known. That would help me discover your beautiful country and give me the occasion to let you discover my passion!

Lastly, many people are tempted by mixed-media but at the same time they feel uncomfortable about it. What could you say to help demystify mixed-media a little bit?

We often hear people say " the mixed-media technique" but it's not a technique, it's an art in itself. Like the name says it, its a mix of materials and different supports (backgrounds). It is a way to express oneself while using all known (and unknown - to be created) artistic techniques. It is possible to use many different matters in one creation while varying the forms be it an art journal, mail art, an altered everyday object.

You would like to do mixed-media but you you don't dare to try it? Here are a few tips.

First of all, be on the lookout for all things that you like or that give you a positive emotion (magazines, art books, publicity flyers, museums, website visits, meetings with other artists, etc). Then you can use the emotions, ideas and the material to create something.

I recommend you to engage in challenges on my mixed-media website, for example. (clickhere to access the site).(Ed.: and this site offers tutorials with the challenges, which will help get you started).

For starters, work on small scale projects like inchies (1 inch x 1 inch), ATC's ( playing card format) or any size square or rectangle not exceeding 4 inches.

The simplest way is to start on a piece of drawing paper, a little acrylic paint or watercolor, and scissors. Even simpler, on your drawing paper, glue a piece of a page from a book, a magazine clipping, a piece of music paper, a excerpt from an agenda or just simply a piece of scrapbooking paper. This will make a background. Then choose a little picture or image that you like, paste it on the page and then stage the picture. To do this you just have to add doodling, drawing, bits of torn paper, felt pen, pastels, coloring pencils, etc . Your imagination will do the rest. But mostly, have fun in the process.